I received a letter from Bodyplex Blue Ridge/ABC Financial Services stating "our records indicate payment for your membership has not been received" and "Unless you notify this office within 30 days after receiving this notice that you dispute the validity of this debt or any portion thereof, this office will assume this debt is valid." No where on the letter did it state any dollar amount owed, and the bottom of the form wanted me to mail in either a credit card account number, or a void or blank check from my bank.
I initially assumed this was a scam, as I had never even been in a Bodyplex facility. But after verifying on the net that ABC Financial was actually affiliated with Bodyplex, I decided to call them.
"Thomasina", the CSR I spoke to on 5/17 said the records showed I joined Bodyplex on 4/5 for 1 year and I was past due $53.50. She said "maybe you forgot that you joined". She then said if I thought I had not joined, I should mail a copy of my driver's license and 3 copies of my signature. If I didn't pay, I would be turned over to a collection agency.
I decided to make the 30 mile trip to the Bodyplex facility I supposedly "joined". When I got there, the Bodyplex person on duty was on the phone with ABC discussing my account.
She explained that Bodyplex had bought the Curves facility contracts in Jan. (I had bought a one-month-only membership at that Curves in April.) When Bodyplex/ABC downloaded all of Curves accounts, it included ALL memberships dating back even years ago.
She said she was having lots of issues like mine, and it all was due to a computer glitch. She assured me she would call ABC Financial back and explain the situation. She also had me fill out a "Member Action Request", with my notation of "I did not join Bodyplex, and had only a one-month trial membership at Curves in April. I do not want a membership at Bodyplex.
This should be the end of it BUT I am going to write a letter to ABC Financial stating I dispute the validity of the debt, just to be on the safe side.
In my opinion, ABC Financial did not perform due diligence before sending me this letter, nor did they get their facts before telling me I would be turned over to a collection agency if I did not pay them.
Plus, it has been a real PITA driving to a Bodyplex facility in addition to a phone call and letter to resolve something that I had nothing to do with.
BEWARE: If Bodyplex/ABC Financial sends you a letter, you need to follow up, especially if there is a chance Bodyplex has bought a contract from another gym you previously belonged to.
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